The Portland daily press., 1887-03-03
ANOTHER INVESTIGATION.
Charges Made Against Fish Com
nlssIenors e. M. stiIlwelI and n. o.
Stanley.

1
prom the Lewiston Journal3
Charges have been preferred against K.
NJ. Stillwell Of Bangor. and Henry o. Stan
ley Of Dixfeld, the Maine Fish and Game
Commissioners. and an investigation
has been ordered by the Governor and Coun-
cil The movement against the commission
ers. originated In Franklin county, the
whole northern section Of which is a noble
fishing and game preserve. and whose peo-
pie are keenly alive TO the necessity for and
the thorough enforcement Of all fish and
game laws.
An examination Of the list Of charges
against the commissioners shows that In
brief they are charged, first, with an improp-
er and unjust enforcement Of the fish and
game laws second, with maliciously prose-
cutting Gen. George NJ. Harmon Of New Ha-
ven, Conn. whom they knew to be innocent;
third, with having used funds. provided by
the State for the propagation Of fish and
game, improperly and TO defray their own
private expenses; fourth, with having,
through prejudice, failed to properly protect
OF propagate fish in the great Rangeley Lake
region fifth, that not only bave they failed
20 protect or propagate fish In that region,
but that they have taken spawn from those
lakes and sold IL outside the State; sixth,
that they have taken fish from spawning
beds, and after removing from them their
spawn, have marketed the fish; seventh,
tnat one commissioner improperly and un-
lawfully attempted to influence witness in
fish and game case.
This very brief summary Is sufficient to
outline the case brought against the Com
missioners. Fremont Z. Timberlake, Esq,
OF Phillips, County Attorney Of Franklin
oOuUfV and &naor and CIacOre of
are the attorneys engaged to present the eyi-
dence 20 the Governor and Council at the i'm
vestigation. In addition 10 the evidence,
they will present an immense petition OF
citizens Of northern Franklin asking for the
removal OF Commissioner Stillwell.
The petition Is headed by Hon. NJ 3. Beal,
president OF the Sandy River Railroad and
contains the names Of IA great number Of the
most prominent citizens, among them Hon.
John X. To0thaker of Rangeley, County,
Commissioner Of Franklin county, Maj. K.
J. Gilkey OF Strong, member Of the State
Board OF Agriculture for Franklin county
Henry +. Dill OF Phillips, x-United States
Consul at Guelph, Canada, Hon; Isaiah Chick
OF Madrid, Ex-C0unty Commissioner, Hon.
Jeremy w. Porter Of Strong.
The orchestra will tune up and the prelude
begin In Pennington next Tuesday In trial
before the Supreme judicial Court now In
session there, In which case General Har-
mon, OF Connecticut, brings suit against
Game Warden Huntoon, Of Rangeley, and
the Fish Commissioner to recover forty dol
lars he claims TO have been illegally received
by them for the killing Of deer. The case Is
a. noteworthy one and attracts widespread
attention and interest in Maine.
The suit Is one Of quite a series Of suits out
OF which primarily the whole movement
against the commissioners grows and there
fore Journal readers may not deem a state
ment OF its salient points unimportant. Gen.
George NJ. Harmon Of New Haven, Conn,
Is one OF party Of gentlemen who owned
the noted Lake Point Cottage In the Range
ley Lake region. This party IS widely
known as the Tuttle party, have done more
70 develop that sporting region, perhaps
than any other out-of- Maine influence. They
are men Of high reputation and standing aud
practicable and law abiding citizens.
On Sunday morning. june Is, 1854. Gen.
Harmon was sitting on the yeranda OF the
Mountain View House. kangeley Lake, in
company with l5 or 20 other gentlemen.wheD
deer was noticed swimming 10 the lake.
which stretches up almost b. the very doors
Of the hotel. Although the menth Of June
ls close tiue, and Ia addition 70 june every
Sunday In the year, yet the temptation was
TOO great, and Immediately a large part Of
the gentlemen present took their boats and
started In pursuit Of the deer Gen Har-
mon was r0wed by ancxpert oarsman. hun
ter and guide, GEORGE fhrSsher Of Rangeley,
and thus was able trst to Oyertake the deer
II was their purpose, as Nell as the pur-
pose Of all the gentlemen, simply % capture
the deer alive. but intoxicated with the de-
light Of the chase. Thrasher raised Tvs oar,
and dealt the animal a stunning blow. So,
ing that the deer was crippled, stunned afeA-
wounded. Gen. Harmon directed Thrasber
to cut its throat, which he did. The General
At once forwarded SO 10 Game Warden
George ID. Huntoon OF liangeley. with the
statement that II was 10 pay the line for kill
ing deer. Huntoon came out at once to
Lake Point cottage, and the General states
that be fully explained 10 him the eireum-
stances, and said that he was willing 10 do
whatever might be necessary to satisfy the
law. Hunt00n had him arraigned before
Trial Justice James W.lButterheld OF Phil
lips and in answer TO the usual interrogatory
the General replied that he did not kill the
deer, but that he was settling for the guide,
and II necessary he plead guilty.
Game Warden Huntoon reported the case
Immediately TO his superior officers and they
directed the prosecution Of Harmon for hav-
Ing killed the deer on Sunday, that too being
close time This prosecution utterly failed,
the court ruling that the law had been fully
satisfied in the prosecution for the month OF
June, which includes every day in the
month, Sundays not excepted. Thrasher
was then prosecuted for killing the same
deer and as he was really the party that did
kill the animal, was easily convicted. The
State thus received pay twice for the same
the forty dollars, and this Is the case to be
tried In Pennington next week. In the
meantime last year Gen. Harmon brought
suit against the officials for malieiously
prosecuting him The case was tried in Ban
gor, and Gen. Harmon won. Feeling that
he had been ill-treated by the Commission
ers, Gen. Harmon signs these charges that
have been filed with the Secretary Of State.
The movement Is making much excite
ment and deep feeling in Franklin county,
and the above Is but slight portrayal OF
some Of the leading features Of the case.